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Justice
Hungwe to preside over Bennett's bail application

Lawyers for human rights

15 October 2009HRD's Watch

High Court Judge,
Justice Charles Hungwe, will on Friday 16 October 2009 preside over a fresh
application seeking the release of incarcerated Deputy Agriculture
Minister-Designate Roy Bennett on bail.

Bennett's lawyers, who on
Thursday 15 October 2009 filed the application, contend that the Movement
for Democratic Change (MDC) Treasurer-General is a suitable candidate for
bail.

The lawyers state that the former Chimanimani legislator, whose
bail was revoked on Wednesday 14 October 2009 and who was subsequently
committed to Mutare Remand Prison after being indicted for trial in the High
Court by Mutare Provincial Magistrate Lucy Mungwari, is not a flight risk as
he has been on bail up to 15 October 2009 and never at any point violated
his bail conditions.

The lawyers argue that Bennett's social,
economic and political life is rooted in Zimbabwe to the extent that the
possibility of him skipping bail is close to zero. They also state that
Bennett is anxious to clear his name, will relish his day in court and
therefore will do everything in his power to stand trial.

The lawyers
want Bennett to be admitted to bail on the same terms and conditions as
imposed by the Supreme Court when it granted him bail in March.

The
conditions are such that he deposits the sum of US$5 000 with the Clerk of
the Mutare Magistrates' Court, continue residing at his Harare residence and
surrender the title deeds of his Stand No. 901 Umtali Township property to
the Clerk.

Bennett will also be willing to report at the Harare Central
Police Station's Law and Order Section three times a week, namely Monday,
Wednesday and Friday between the hours of 0600 and 1800 hours (as he has
been doing) and will not interfere with State witnesses.

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) have issued a statement on the
continued imprisonment of Roy Bennett and note that:

Whilst it is the case that, upon indictment, bail granted to an accused
person can be revoked in terms of the law, the Attorney General, Mr. Johannes Tomana, has
the discretion to allow the accused person to remain free pending trial on the
existing bail conditions – bail conditions with which Bennett
has dutifully complied with. ZLHR believes that, by choosing to oppose the
continuing bail of Roy Bennett and ensuring his swift re-incarceration, Tomana
is now himself dangerously threatening the Rule of Law and the stability and
continuation of the increasingly fragile Interparty Political Agreement
(IPA).

Roy Bennett’s lawyers will point out tomorrow that Bennett has complied with
all bail conditions prior to his appearance in court on Tuesday this week, and
that he does not present a flight risk. ZLHR point out the extent of Bennet’’s
compliance, noting that he willingly gave up his lawful protection in South
Africa, where he had been granted political asylum in South
Africa prior to his arrest in February this year.

TAKE ACTION – and
please circulate this call to action widely.

Call
Johannes Tomana and tell him that you are following this case
very closely and that you are horrified by his decision to keep Roy Bennett
imprisoned. Advise him that you are contacting your MPs in your country and
asking them to take action on behalf of Roy Bennett. Tell Tomana that you will
be advising your MP that the man in charge of this miserable travesty of justice
is Johannes Tomana.

Please be calm and polite
when you speak to Tomana. It is important that he understands you are coolly and
calmly rational about this affair and that you are determined to pursue justice to the
end on behalf of Roy Bennett.

Please do not allow your justifiable feelings of anger and frustration to
obscure the central point of your message. Your message is that you will not stand by and do nothing
in the face of the gross injustice shown to Roy Bennett ! Make sure
Johannes Tomana understand this very clearly.

Johannes Tomana’s telephone number is publicly available in the phone
book, so give him a call!

Tel: 00 263 (04) 499617

If you cannot speak to Tomana, please politely ask the person you do speak to
to pass on your message. Keep trying again and again until you get
through.

Please circulate this ACTION ALERT on your Facebook network by sharing this
post, and on Twitter. Encourage
everyone to get involved.

Bennett’s willingness to stay and face charges in Zimbabwe, and his complete
compliance with all bail conditions despite the fact he is facing a politically
motivated farce of a trial, is true to the spirit of his deep commitment to
Zimbabwe and his determination to represent the people who hold him in such high
esteem. It is this determination to see justice done, and to see the return to
the rule of law, that threatens Zanu PF so much and underpins much of the
persecution he and his family have endured.

The incredible abuse of power by Zanu PF stalwarts was evident again today
when an activist who tried to visit Roy Bennett in jail was told by the prison
authorities that they first needed to seek permission from Paradzai Zimonde
before they could allow him to see Bennett. Zimonde is Zimbabwe’s Prison
Commissioner who is also one of a handful of senior military figures responsible
for orchestrating a lot of the violence last year, in their capacity as Mugabe’s
Joint Operation Command (JOC).

Bennett has been subjected to relentless persecution by senior Zanu PF
politicans for many years now. They despise him and are threatened by the fact
that he is so popular among ordinary Zimbabweans. We must all stand by him, and
we must insist that the persecution has to come to an end.

This entry was posted by
Sokwanele on Thursday, October 15th, 2009 at 7:31
pm

Bill Watch Special of 15th October 2009 [PM''s PressConference]

Rumours abounded in
Harare today
that a press conference was being held today at which Mr Tsvangirai would
announce that MDC-T would be pulling out of the inclusive government. These
rumours were not true.

In fact the Prime
Minister and Minister of Finance Tendai
Biti were scheduled to address a press conference this morning,
at which they were due to deal with various issues including the IMF Fund and
Special Drawing Rights, the Finance Ministry’s relationship with the Reserve
Bank, and Senator Roy Bennett’s court case, but this press conference did not
take place.

The Prime Minister
cancelled today’s Council of Ministers meeting and suspended his coming to the
office until the issue of Senator Bennett is resolved. His spokesman said “he
wants that matter resolved immediately," and that he had tried to arrange
to meet President Mugabe to talk about Senator Bennett's issue but “all
communication was not successful".

What did happen was
that there was a meeting of the MDC-T Standing Committee this morning. There
has been particular concern over the re-arrest and imprisonment this week of Mr
Bennett, the party’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture designate, and his
indictment to face trial in the High Court.

The issues discussed by
today’s meeting of the MDC-T Standing Committee will be considered at a meeting
of the party’s National Executive Committee at 9 am tomorrow, and this agenda at
this meeting will be to review the options available to the party in the light
of recent events.

The Prime Minister will
then announce the decisions of the National Executive Committee at a press
conference scheduled for 11 am. tomorrow, Friday 16th October. Venue: Prime
Minister’s MunhumutapaBuilding boardroom.

It is most unfortunate
the State decided to indict Bennett in the High Court instead of proceeding with
his case in the magistrate’s court. This meant that in spite of his having
previously been granted bail [with difficulty – the matter went all the way to
the Supreme Court]; the State was able to insist on his return to custody
pending trial. As there is no change in the charges against Mr Bennett, there
seems no good reason for the State not just to agree to the continuation of the
bail conditions agreed to in the Supreme Court. Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human
Rights indicated that the State’s action is a case of “persecution” not
“prosecution”.

Veritas
makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take legal
responsibility for information supplied.

Mr Bennett has been remanded
in custody on terrorism charges widely seen as spurious.

Morgan
Tsvangirai, the prime minister and MDC leader, cancelled the weekly meeting
of the council of ministers, which works in parallel with the cabinet, and
did not go to his office.

Tendai Biti, the finance minister and MDC
secretary-general, said: "We will not be taking part in any official
functions at present. The prime minister has cancelled the council of
ministers meeting and we will be meeting as a party in the morning to
discuss this."

There is outrage within the MDC that Mr Bennett, who has
not yet received a copy of the formal charges against him, was sent for
trial in the high court, prompting his automatic re-arrest in the eastern
city of Mutare, despite a court order compelling the state to start
proceedings against him or release him.

Johannes Tomana, the
attorney-general, is loyal to Robert Mugabe and was appointed to the post by
the president.

Mr Bennett was first arrested in February when he arrived
back in Harare from exile to take up the post of deputy agriculture minister
in the coalition government, formed after months of talks following an
election wracked by violence.

Then, it took him a month to be given
bail. He has never been sworn in to his post.

David Coltart, the
education minister who was speaking on behalf of the MDC faction led by
Arthur Mutambara, said it condemned Mr Bennett's detention
"unreservedly".

"While we believe in the rule of law, the manner in
which this case was handled is a direct assault on the spirit of the global
political agreement and Zanu PF's conduct will seriously undermine efforts
to make this fragile agreement work," he said.

There is a groundswell
of protest growing within the MDC at the authorities' handling of the
Bennett case. "The state has had eight months to prepare for his case, they
have done nothing because the police have no evidence and no witnesses,"
said a Harare lawyer who has followed the case. "It is malicious and
indefensible."

Mugabe must end
'harassment' of Zimbabwe opposition: US

1 hr 27 mins agoWASHINGTON
(AFP) - Washington on Thursday demanded that Zimbabwe's President Robert
Mugabe "end the harassment" of the opposition, after the Harare government
detained a top aide to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

"Mugabe has to
end the harassment of the opposition, including Mr Bennett," State
Department spokesman Robert Wood said, speaking about Roy Bennett,
Tsvangirai's pick as deputy agriculture minister.

Bennett was
arrested on February 13, the day the unity government was sworn in, and sent
back to jail Wednesday before a trial set for next week, in a ruling his
party said was a serious attack on the credibility of the inclusive
government.

Bennett, treasurer for The Movement for Democratic Change
party, had been free on bail since March after his arrest on charges of
possessing arms for the purposes of banditry, terrorism and inciting acts of
insurgency.

His renewed detention has cast fresh doubt about the ability
of the unity government to overcome challenges facing the eight-month
partnership of Tsvangirai with Mugabe, his long-time rival.

MDC
to suspend 'involvement' with ZANU PF

By Violet Gonda15 October
2009The MDC's Standing Committee, comprising the party's top leadership, met
on Thursday and made a resolution to disengage from contact and
deliberations with ZANU PF in the inclusive government, until all
outstanding issues plaguing the coalition are resolved. The matter now
awaits endorsement by the MDC's National Council. Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai is expected to hold a press conference to reveal the outcome on
Friday.

A senior official in the Prime Minister's office told SW Radio
Africa that ZANU PF has pushed the patience of the MDC too far with the
latest treatment of Roy Bennett. The MDC Treasurer General, who is facing
charges of possessing weapons for the purpose of terrorism, was on Wednesday
sent to prison again, pending trial in the High Court. ZANU PF has been
criticised over this action, with observers saying this is a clear sign that
shows ZANU PF has only contempt for the Global Political
Agreement.

If the party's National Council endorses this move, it is
understood the MDC is not going to pull out of the inclusive government as
it will continue to run its ministries, but will disengage from Cabinet and
the Council of Ministers and suspend any forums with ZANU PF.

The
official, who was speaking on condition of anonymity, said; "There is now a
constitutional crisis. ZANU PF has pushed and pushed and enough is enough.
This was the shortest meeting the Standing Committee has ever had and the
vote was unanimous. There was not one dissenting voice."

However, the
MDC's proposal to suspend engagement with ZANU PF has been met with mixed
reactions. Those in favour say there was momentum growing within the MDC,
against the party continuing to do nothing in the face of ZANU PF's
unwillingness to share real power. But critics say if this impasse drags on
Zimbabwe might find itself in unfamiliar territory, with two parallel
government structures.

The chairman of the National Constitutional
Assembly, Dr Lovemore Madhuku, believes the MDC is losing direction. He
said: "This is a senseless position. It doesn't make sense. It has no
meaning if you are still in government that is engaging ZANU PF because that
government is an inclusive government. There is no concept of running a
ministry which is different from being in government."

The outspoken
civic leader said: "This is all part of the thinking that the Zimbabwean
public and everyone else is still so gullible to keep hearing these antics.
They (MDC) must make up their minds, either they are in government or they
are completely out of it. There is no concept of a half-way
house."

The MDC say the Prime Minister had on Wednesday called for an
urgent meeting to discuss the Bennett issue with Mugabe and Justice Minister
Patrick Chinamasa, but 'the lines of communication were closed to
them.'

Meanwhile a delegation of senior
MDC officials were denied access to Bennett when they tried to visit him at
the remand prison in Mutare on Thursday. The Deputy Minister of Local
Government Sesel Zvidzai, Mutare Mayor Brian James, Senator for Nyanga and
provincial chairman for Manicaland Patrick Chitake and MP for Makoni South
Pishai Muchauraya were told to get clearance from police headquarters before
they would be allowed to see him. The Mutare Mayor told SW Radio Africa: "I
think it is quite irregular that we have been denied access to see Mr
Bennett."

Bennett's lawyers are expected to file an urgent bail
application in the High Court on Friday. The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human
Rights (ZLHR) said in a statement: "An urgent explanation must be provided
to the public by those who have caused and contributed to Bennett's renewed
persecution and that the matter must be resolved immediately by the national
and regional political forces responsible for this travesty of justice to
ensure that his safety, security, and fundamental rights and freedoms -
which are being assaulted and perpetuated through the abuse of the law - are
restored."

The ZLHR said it is even more disturbing that this travesty of
justice is occurring under the eyes of the SADC Executive Secretary Tomaz
Salomao, who is currently in Zimbabwe.SADC are the guarantors of
Zimbabwe's unity agreement, but have so far been very disappointing in their
apparent unwillingness to bring Mugabe into line and pressure him to abide
by the power sharing agreement.

Botswana
won't recongise Mugabe if coalition collapses

Botswana's President Ian Khama has warned that Zimbabwe's
powersharing government is on the verge of collapse with ZANU PF refusing to
implement key issues agreed to. Speaking to the AFP news agency, on the
sidelines of a rally in Botswana ahead of elections there, Khama said of the
coalition, 'It is limping along and there is a real danger that the whole
thing could collapse.

Its been 8 months since the shaky coalition was
put together but there has been no progress in resolving problems around the
appointment of key officials, including a deputy minister, provincial
governors, central bank governor, attorney general and ambassadors. Even
some ministerial mandates earlier agreed to are being unilaterally tampered
with by Mugabe.

If the MDC were looking for signs of regional support in
the event of them pulling out, Khama certainly provided the first one. He
told journalists 'If it was to collapse for genuine reasons we would
certainly not recognise a ZANU-only government or certainly not one headed
by President Robert Mugabe because he certainly did not win the presidential
election last year.'

Khama has remained Mugabe's strongest critic in the
region and was the first to break rank with fellow SADC leaders, who
continue to opt for quiet appeasement. After Morgan Tsvangirai won the March
2008 presidential election a bloody campaign of violence and intimidation
run by the military under the Joint Operations Command was to see him
withdraw from the subsequent run-off. Khama made it clear then that Botswana
would not recognise Mugabe's flawed win in the one man presidential run
off.

Sources close to the power sharing talks last year insist Khama and
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete advised Tsvangirai not to sign the deal
until all the MDC demands had been met. This was not to happen and the MDC
signed up to the deal on the understanding that outstanding issues would be
resolved once they were in government. Evidence so far suggests that might
have been a hasty decision and took away all of their bargaining power.

Swedish Presidency Slams Mugabe

The Swedish EU presidency has
criticized the decision by a Zimbabwe court to send a close aide to Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to jail - calling it an act of "politically
motivated abuse".

In a statement released on the official Web site
of the Presidency Sweden as the current leader of the EU "regrets that
politically motivated abuse persists in the country". Further, the
presidency states that "the decision taken yesterday [i.e. Wednesday],
together with reports during the last few months of unsubstantiated legal
measures taken against several MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) members
of parliament, is cause for serious concern".

Zimbabwean
magistrate Lucy Mungwari earlier ordered ministerial nominee Roy Bennett, a
close aide to Tsvangirai, back to jail to face terrorism charges next week.
Bennett's trial is expected to start on Monday in the high court of the
eastern town of Mutare.

The move "indicates a lack of commitment to
the letter and spirit of the Global Political Agreement (GPA)," which
allowed for the formation of Zimbabwe's unity government including both
Tsvangirai and President Robert Mugabe.

The Swedish
presidency's statement recalled that the parties to the GPA "agreed last
year to build a society free of violence, fear, intimidation and hatred.
This commitment should be honoured without delay."

Britain Not Impressed With Unity Government Progress

Harare, October 15
, 2009 - Zimbabwe's former colonial master, Britain on Thursday said there
had been little progress made by the inclusive government formed in February
and London will only fully engage Harare if the Global Political Agreement
(GPA) is fully implemented.

"We have seen tentative
progress, we believe we have seen some tentative progress towards fulfilling
the terms of global political agreement, but we are yet to see substantial
progress in the area of governance and human rights, we very much hope that
does unfold in the coming months, said British ambassador Mark Canning at a
news conference in Harare.

"In terms of what the international
community is looking for, in terms of further engagement it will be based on
the Global Political Agreement, based on the issue of human rights,
governance, that is what would dictate the future engagements."

Zimbabwe political leaders - President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai and his deputy Arthur Mutambara - formed a unity deal in
February after months of intense negotiations mediated by the former South
African president Thabo Mbeki through the Southern African Development
Community (SADC).

However, Canning expressed hope that with
time, his country will lift sanctions imposed on Mugabe and his cronies.
"The UK wants this inclusive government to succeed. We have in place a
travel ban on 203 individuals, we also have a ban on 40 state owned
companies...The issue of sanctions is frankly one that will go away if the
spirit and the later of the GPA is carried through."

Mugabe has
said as part of implementation of the GPA sanctions against him and his
close associates must be lifted together with the travel bans slapped on
him.

The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Tsvangirai
said Mugabe is dragging his feet in implementing outstanding issues in the
GPA which include the appointment of key government posts that include the
governor Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and Attorney General.

A
visiting European Union delegation which came to Zimbabwe in September said
the block will only assist Zimbabwe fully when the unity government has
implemented fully the global political agreement.

MDC's Tsvangirai
on Thursday cancelled all government duties in protest of the re-arrest of
one of his aides, Roy Bennett. Bennnett, MDC treasurer general and deputy
minister of agriculture designate, was re-arrested on Wednesday in Mutare
following an application by the state to indict him so that he appears in
the High Court in the eastern border town of Mutare next week on terrorism
charges.The MDC says it will meet on Friday to discuss its future
participation in the inclusive government, following the latest development,
which threatens the fragile unity deal.

Canning said the
jailing of Bennett again did not look good politically.

The MDC
believes charges on Bennett are trumped up and meant to persecute him as a
white person and as a member of MDC.

PM
pleas to stop soldiers invading farm, ignored

By Alex Bell15 October
2009An invaded farm in the Headlands district continues to be overrun by
soldiers acting as land invaders, despite a written plea by Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai to the Defence Ministry to control its armed
forces.The Prime Minister reportedly wrote the letter to Emmerson Mnangagwa
last week, requesting that the Defence Minister rein in the army brigadier
general heading the seizure of Charles Lock's Karori farm. Brigadier General
Justin Mujaji and his personal army of soldiers have completely taken over
and looted the farm in direct contravention of the law, which states that
Lock is the legal owner of the land. According to the online news service
ZimOnline, the letter was copied to Robert Mugabe as head of the army and
also to the current head of the Southern African Development Community
(SADC), Joseph Kabila."I hereby . . . request that your office
institutes appropriate action against Brigadier (Justin) Mujaji to ensure
his immediate cessation of illegal activities, in particular, the use of the
Zimbabwe National Army to perpetrate unlawful acts," read part of
Tsvangirai's letter.

The letter, which was very quietly submitted without
any indication of what would happen if it was ignored, came hot on the heels
of a written protestation by the German Embassy over the seizure of the
farm. The letter, addressed to Tsvangirai, called for the immediate
restoration of law and order on Lock's farm, which is part owned by a German
investor who has lost at least US$1 million of his investment. Germany has
argued that the invasion of the farm by Brigadier General Mujaji is in
violation the bilateral investment protection, agreement between the two
countries.

The German embassy said: "The embassy wishes to express its
dismay, and strongly protests against the criminal behaviour of Brigadier
Mujaji. It expects the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all authorities
concerned to take immediate action to restore law and order at Mr Lock's
premises, and to ensure full compliance with Zimbabwe's obligations under
international law."

But the two letters, which unsurprisingly came in
quick succession, have done nothing to stop the invasion on Lock's farm.
More than a million dollars worth of crops have been stolen from the farm,
with the same amount in equipment being looted by Mujaji's men. At the same
time, Lock's farm workers have been beaten, shot at, starved and evicted,
and at least one female staff member was raped and others sexually assaulted
by the soldiers who led the eviction of the workers last month. Mujaji
meanwhile is in defiance of three High Court Orders, an arrest warrant, and
a Supreme Court order to stop the land seizure. But Lock has explained that
the police are unwilling to get involved, because of the higher power of the
army.

The ongoing seizure of the country's remaining commercial land
continues to be a state sponsored and state approved affair. Brigadier
General Mujaji's wife is the sister of Monica Chinamasa, the wife of the
Minister of Justice. The Chinamasa's have been 'allocated' a farm that
shares a common boundary with the Lock's Karori farm, which the Brigadier
wants.

At the same time SW Radio Africa correspondent Lionel Saungweme
reported this week that farmer Glen James has faced renewed attack on his
farm by men working for a Bulawayo High Court Judge, Maphios Cheda. Cheda
has been trying to force James to leave the land since August, and Saungweme
said the Judge's hired thugs have been using government equipment, including
tractors and weapons, to plunder the land and stop farming there. The thugs,
believed to be CIO operatives, have caused a number of disturbances on the
farm over several weeks, including firing shots and James' staff last month.
James meanwhile has also been issued with various offer letters dated the 21
September, despite Cheda and his men starting their seizure of the land in
August.

Arms deal
to Zim put on hold

South Africa has halted arms sales to Zimbabwe,
but has approved weapons sales to Venezuela and is considering similar
requests from Syria, says Justice Minister Jeff Radebe.

He
chairs the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), the
government arms sales watchdog.

Speaking in the National Assembly
in reply to a question from David Maynier of the DA, Radebe said that since
July, South Africa had decided to halt all pending arms sales to
Zimbabwe.

Radebe told Maynier that the decision had nothing to do
with pressure from the DA.

"For your information, we have not
taken any decision to sell arms to Zimbabwe since July because we monitor
transactions on a case-to-case basis," he said.

Radebe insisted
that the government would not be dictated to by the DA on its arms
deals.

"We are guided by our conscience and the
constitution and the laws of this country. We cannot be dictated to by the
DA who to trade arms with..."

Maynier caused a stir in August when
he released documents that revealed that the government had either approved
or had arms sales pending to a number of rogue states, including North
Korea, Iran, Syria and Zimbabwe.

This elicited an angry
response from the ANC, which demanded that he be charged for being in
possession of classified arms trade documents, in contravention of the
National Conventional Arms Control Act.

An ANC request to National
Assembly Speaker, Max Sisulu, that Maynier be axed from the defence
committee was not granted, for a lack of grounds. But the Speaker has since
suggested that "necessary rules" be developed to prevent MPs from disclosing
sensitive information that could harm national security.

Radebe
also revealed that the NCACC had approved arms sales to Venezuela, which the
DA had listed as one of the rogue states with which South Africa was
entering into arms deals.

"Venezuela is one of our most important
trading partners and we shall continue to do business with
them.

"We have approved arms to Venezuela. There's nothing wrong
with that and it's going to increase trade between our two countries," he
said.

Radebe insisted that the deals the arms control committee had
agreed to were above board and that pending transactions with Iran had been
halted when the UN imposed an arms embargo on that country.

He
said Maynier's allegations that the country had flouted UN laws and
embargoes in its arms sales were untrue.

"I think he needs to
be examined, this gentleman, because he repeats this lie time and time
again. We are not accountable to Maynier and the DA.

"Nothing we
have done is in violation of UN regulations on arms embargoes... We don't
know why he keeps on harping on this issue," he said.

This article was originally published on page 7 of Daily News on October 15,
2009

Brian
James officially installed as Mayor of Mutare

By Tichaona Sibanda15
October 2009MDC councillor, Brian James, was on Thursday officially
installed as the Mayor of Mutare at the city's civic centre.

The
colourful ceremony was attended by government officials, MPs, councillors,
businesspeople and hundreds of Mutare residents. During last year's
harmonized elections in March the MDC swept to a cruising victory in the
city, grabbing all the 19 municipal wards.

In August of the same year,
James was unanimously elected to become the ceremonial mayor of the city by
his fellow councillors. But it has taken the government 18 months to install
the mayor, who has lived all his life in the eastern border
city.

James has already promised that council's revenue will be channeled
towards service delivery; in particular refuse removal, water, and
sanitation services.

The deputy Minister of local government, Sisel
Zvidzai, who was a guest at the ceremony, told SW Radio Africa that since
the MDC joined the inclusive government they have witnessed a real shift in
the way local councils are runs.

'Service delivery has become the
cornerstone of city governance and includes access to water and refuse
collection,' said Zwizwai.

'We want to ensure the reliability, quality
and cost efficiency of equitable services to all areas of a city or town -
wealthy or poor - is the primary responsibility of local councils, and is
the most tangible result for which the community will hold their elected
officials accountable,' the deputy minister added.

Provincial
spokesman for the MDC, Pishai Muchauraya, told us residents in Mutare are
happy that things have improved across all service delivery
areas.

'Add to that, the city has also become one of the first
councils in the country to computerise its billing system and it also runs a
website that offers information about the city,' Muchauraya said.But
Muchauraya, who is the MDC MP for Makoni south, castigated the Minister of
local government, Ignatius Chombo, for meddling in the affairs of the
city.'Power belongs to the people. I'm sure Chombo has realized that
even if he suspends this current council like he did with the previous one,
people will still vote the MDC back into council,' Muchauraya said.The
MDC leadership in Manicaland has accused Chombo of ordering James to have
representatives of special interest groups - all from ZANU-PF - to sit in on
council deliberations, where they exercise voting rights.Traditionally
special interest representatives seated on rural, district or city councils
speak for disadvantaged groups such as the handicapped. But all of Chombo's
nominees have been brought in to try and dilute the power that the MDC
enjoys in local councils.

Britain to give Zimbabwe $100 mln in practical aid

Britain said today it was providing $100 million in
aid to Zimbabwe this year to help the new unity government and ease a
humanitarian crisis. "We thought the formation of the inclusive government
was a significant step.

The UK wants it to succeed. We are not
holding back and will be supporting it to the tune of $100 million this
year," Britain's ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mike Canning, told
reporters.

Relations between Britain and Zimbabwe were strained
over the last decade, with London accusing President Robert Mugabe of
implementing disastrous policies such as the often violent seizure of white
farms to resettle blacks; electoral fraud and rights abuses. But the
formation of a power-sharing government by Mugabe and rival Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai has raised hopes of improved ties.

Canning
said the funds would be used to restore vital services such as water,
sanitation, healthcare and education - which virtually collapsed after years
of neglect - as well as provide food aid, seed and fertilisers to poor
households.

Dave Fish, head of the UK's Department for
International Development (DFID), said Britain was not yet giving direct
funding to the new unity government. "We would expect significant
developments on the political front before we deepen support or even provide
funding directly through the government," Fish said. - Reuters

Hunger fears
grip Zimbabwe as funding worries affect WFP activities

APA-Harare (Zimbabwe)
Zimbabweans in need of food aid will have to brace for another lean season
until the next harvest as it emerged Thursday that the United Nations' World
Food Programme was 45 percent under-resourced and may again fail to meet
demand for humanitarian assistance.

According to the WFP, the total food
requirement from September until the end of the feeding operation in April
2010 is approximately 175 300 metric tonnes for all
commodities.

Presently, it said donor pledges show a shortfall of over 83
000 metric, which means WFP is 45 percent under-resourced for the remainder
of the operation.

"To address the shortfall, WFP has started reducing
rations for some caseloads under the SN (Safety Net) activities and if no
further funds are received, the option may be to reduce rations and scale
down activities for all the programmes," the UN said.

This will have
serious implications on the health and diet of beneficiaries under the
antiretroviral therapy and home-based care programmes who rely on the safety
net scheme.

"WFP is preparing for the medium to worst case scenarios,"
the world body further warned.

Given the poor funding support, the
WFP has now resorted to regional grain purchases as a precautionary measure
aimed at ensuring there are no delays in getting the food to the hungry
people.

Regional purchases will enable WFP to reduce the lead time from
when a contribution is confirmed to the food arriving in-country to two
months, as opposed to up to five months previously.

However, in order
to achieve this, it is imperative that funds are mobilized immediately for
the food to arrive within two months in time for the lean food period
between January and the next harvest around March.

This is the second
time in as many years that the WFP has had to reduce its food rations in
response to dwindling food donations to Zimbabwe.

In November last year,
the UN agency had to reduce the rations given out in order to maximize the
number of people who could be helped.

The amount of cereals for each
person had been reduced to 10 kilogrammes from 12 kg and the amount of
pulses to 1kg from 1.8 kg.

Approximately 800 000 Zimbabweans received
food aid in September this year, with the number expected to nearly double
between January and March 2010.

Still no water, sewage for Op Garikai

MUTARE – Residents at Garikai Phase 3 in Chikanga have been living
without water and sewage facilities for the past four years.

Many homes in the high-density suburbs were destroyed under the notorious
Operation Murambatsvina in 2005. Government then established the Garikai/Hlalani
Khuhle Housing Scheme that saw people sympathetic to Zanu (PF) benefit.

But now, four years later, there is still no water or sewage, presenting a
high health risk.

A resident Emmanuel Mandimutsira said: "We are using the bush system that has
resulted in disease outbreaks. We have been living like this since we moved to
this place. We use buckets and containers to fetch water from the nearest
suburbs. We fetch the water from beerhalls, shops and from relatives. Some are
charging us US$1 for 20litres of water," he said.

He added: "A big family cannot use 20 litres only per day. We need more than
20litres, maybe 80litres meaning that one has to pay US$4.00 per day. So
considering that we are civil servants we cannot afford to pay so much per day."

Students
starved for rejecting ZANU-PF

A
concerned Zimbabwean student who cannot be named has written to The Zim
Diaspora to voice his concern about the abuses of students who are
beneficiaries of Mugabe's Presidential Scholarships at Fort Hare University,
South Africa for refusing to join ZANU-PF. The details are very
disturbing.A total of 12 students have so far been withdrawn from the
programme for taking part in the opposition politics at the campus. Many who
have refused to show interest in joining ZANU-PF are now facing
victimisation.The victimisation of students is so ruthless. They are starved
and stripped-off their rights to accommodation and left as destitutes in
foreign land.Abyssinia Mushunje, a Zimbabwean lecturer at the university
tasked with running the programme at the University stands accused of
directing victimisation of pro-MDC students. Mushunje for example, wrote a
letter to the mother of one of the axed students, Blessing Tsiga. In it, he
complained that 'your daughter is one of the ring leaders of the MDC
grouping and yet ZANU PF gave her the scholarship to study in South
Africa.'

By Zimbabwean student at Fort HareWe are suffering here, we
are treated like wild animals, we are abused, we are starved - our sins for
refusing to commit ourselves to ZANU-PF.Anyone of us who have participated
in the MDC activities has either been sacked or have their meals cards
deactivated. Some girls have even been driven into prostitution. They are
now trading their bodies for food after their meals cards were deactivated.
Its very, very sad. And its surprising why South African authorities have
allowed ZANU-PF to treat and degrade human beings in such a way in their
country.These are students who benefited from Mugabe Presidential
scholarships. They have fallen victim to malicious ZANU (PF) propaganda
being perpetrated by the autocratic and totalitarian committees made up of
Zanu loyalists at the university.ZANU-PF have set up committees in the
campus to identify those who engage in opposition politics and those who
refuse to commit themselves to ZANU-PF. These committees are all appointed
at the recommendation of Abyssinia Mushunje, a lecturer in the Faculty of
Science and Agriculture at the University of Fort Hare, who also happens to
be a nephew to the programme director, Chris Mushohwe also a former
beneficiary of the fund. These people have victimized and intimidated
students suspected to be supporting opposition political parties.This
ruthless political behaviour is designed to brainwash students into joining
ZANU-PF.The objective is clearly to try and re-energize the party's base
among students, whatever remains of it. Secondly, and more importantly, they
want to instil fear, confusion and despondency within the student
population.A number of students have been withdrawn from the scholarship for
the sole reason that they support the MDC-T. This is very sad indeed. We, as
students now keep on asking ourselves what really was the reason of the
liberation struggle in Rhodesia. Was it not motivated by the idea of
freedom, freedom of association, freedom of speech and freedom to choose
political affiliation? This, as students leaves us asking whether the war
against Ian Smith was really worth it.What I find more confusion is why
is it that students supporting the MDC are so much victimised yet the MDC is
a big player in the inclusive government, the so called GNU.Why should
Mushohwe and his scholarship fund looting bandwagon forcefully chant ZANU
(PF) slogans at students meetings despite clear indication that students are
not interested in ZANU-PF? Does it mean that accept the Presidential
scholarships one has surrendered his/her human rights?We are being denied
our political choices right under the nose of Jacob Zuma. There is no right
of freedom of association and expression yet our South African counterparts
belong to various political institutions such as COPE, ANC, DA or whatever
party they choose to support. There is no victimisation for the our
counterparts.Intimidation of Zimbabwean students by ZANU-PF intensified when
MDC branches were launched at both the East London and Alice campuses last
month. Mugabe's spies have also infiltrated the university campus. About 600
other students who have attended MDC meetings are now facing the
chop.What stuns me is that The Presidential Scholarship fund after all
bankrolled by the tax-payers in Zimbabwe yet the beneficials are treated as
though the money comes from Mr Mugabe's pockets.Fort Hare University is
an institution recognised for hope, democracy, high standard of education,
yet we will remember it as an institution of victimisation.No one seems
to helping us as we suffer in the hands of Mugabe's man here. We feel dumped
and abandoned.We therefore, call for an end to student victimization.
Students should be given the freedom to publicly support any political party
of their choice. In the first place the selection of the scholarship
criteria does not specify any student's political affiliation as a
prerequisite for the funding.We all hope things will change
naturally.For how long are the students going to suffer the politicization
of the government funded scholarship that has become a very dominant feature
in the present-day running of the programme.The worst case scenario is
that this is a generational problem, one that is likely to haunt students on
scholarship until that generation of the Mushohwes and Mushunjes are
sacked.Sadly, we are still grappling with issues of process, as opposed to
issues of substance in terms of how this scholarship should be run. It is
the duty of all who believe in true democracy and justice to rid this world
of tyrants who use the government programme to intimidate torture, victimize
and deny students their right to self determination.

Zimbabwe
shortlists 2 investors for ZISCO

Thursday, 15 Oct 2009AllAfrica.com
reported that Zimbabwe government has short listed 2 investors out of the 6,
who were vying to acquire the embattled Zimbabwe Iron & Steel
Company.

Among the 6 investors that were interested in taking over
Zisco were Arcelor Mittal (South Africa), Murray and Roberts (South Africa),
Steel Makers (Zimbabwe) Reclamation (South Africa) and Gateway (Zimbabwe) in
association with an Indian firm.

Mr Joel Gabuza Parastatal and State
Enterprise Minister said that the short listed investors were presently
before an inter ministerial committee for further evaluation of their
history, capacity and suitability.

He added that "This is a process. For
instance if there were 10 bidders Government had to come up with say two
from which the eventual winner will be recommended to the President and the
Prime Minister."

Once approved the investors would be referred to the
inter ministerial committee, which together with parent ministries would
choose the final winner.

Mr Welshman Ncube industry and commerce
minister of Zimbabwe recently said that the government would consider a
sound debt management plan for Zisco as one of the major factors in arriving
at the eventual winner.

It may be noted that Zisco is saddled with a USD
300 million debt overhang in addition to a myriad of other challenges. The
company requires an effective revival plan to resume operations which were
suspended a few years ago. The new investors, apart from clearing the
company's huge debt, would have to pump in several millions into
recapitalization of the firm.

Mr Alois Gowo CEO of Zisco said that the
exercise, contracted to Shougang International of China, would chew up about
USD 12 million.

Hope remains cautious in Zimbabwe

Eight months after Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai joined forces to
form a unity government, the BBC's Peter Ndoro, a Zimbabwean who has been living
in London, returned to his homeland to see what progress has been made.

Peter Ndoro visited his old school in Harare to access the state
of education

"How is he going to get through immigration? Are they still checking for
things like that?"

I overheard a couple in the plane seats across from me looking at the book I
was reading: Dinner with Mugabe by Heidi Holland.

At that moment I thought, despite all the talk of a new Zimbabwe dawning in
the wake of its government of national unity, maybe things have not really
changed.

As it turns out, nobody searched me and so I did not have to worry about my
book after all.

I grew up in post-independence Zimbabwe and the drive to Harare city centre
was familiar, but heartbreaking.

I had been home just a few years ago and yet the infrastructure had somehow
managed to get even worse.

The fact that I am even here as a BBC journalist with a letter of
government permission in hand is remarkable

The potholes, the rusting street lights that had not worked for years and the
houses in disrepair all confirmed the stories reaching us: Harare was a shadow
of the amazing city it once was.

The news though has all been about change.

The disappearance of the Zimbabwe dollar has slayed hyperinflation, and as
President Mugabe runs a government alongside former enemy Prime Minister
Tsvangirai, the once barren shops are once again full.

Positive outlook

The politicians have been talking about a new constitution and a free media.

This is new, and the fact that I am even here as a BBC journalist with a
letter of government permission in hand is remarkable, I thought.

On the first working day our stories took us to Harare Central Hospital and a
facility that was shut down for three months just a year ago.

It was working well and the patients seemed happy with the care they were
getting.

Patients at Harare Central Hospital seemed happy with their
healthcare

I then went back to my old school to get a sense of what was happening with
education.

The head prefect gave me a positive outlook about how things had turned
around after a real collapse and he was optimistic about the future.

My doubts began to set in though, when I tried to interview a teacher.

Despite lauding President Mugabe's leadership, he was reluctant to have his
views recorded.

I pushed him and asked if he would prefer to talk to us at the hotel.

I offered him a lift in our car but he declined. I asked why and he said:
"Peter, don't act as if you have never lived in Zimbabwe."

Police service?

At the end of that day I went to see how busy one of the main bus terminals
was at rush hour.

It was a hive of activity and it resembled any other bustling city on the
continent as people made their way home.

But as I tried to record my thoughts, I was interrupted by two men in plain
clothes claiming to be police officers.

A soldier appeared by my window, pointing a gun at me

They harassed and questioned us about why we were reporting there.

Despite our letter and protestations they started to handcuff my producer
demanding money to let us go. We obliged.

At first we were scared to go the police station, remembering that not so
long ago, an activist had been detained for five days before the police admitted
having her in custody.

But we went there to report the incident later that evening and I have to say
that the police were very helpful and cordial.

I wondered if I might be seeing the emergence of a police service out of an
often brutal police force.

Could this be a Gorbachev-style glasnost and perestroika in the making?

Trust 'lacking'

My answer is that more and more people are smiling in the streets, as if
their load is not as heavy.

But then I took a drive to visit my sister in one of Harare's plush suburbs,
where the mansions being built seem to be getting larger and larger.

In the midst of the chaos, it was clear that some were doing very well
indeed, and I had heard that they might not be that keen to see change.

As we drove we stopped at traffic lights just outside State House.

I started laughing at a story my sister was telling me.

A soldier appeared by my window, pointing a gun at me. "What are you laughing
at?" he asked.

"Who said that you can laugh at State House? We are trying to do serious work
here! Stop the car and tell us what you are laughing at."

Unbelievable! Even laughing seems to be a threat to state security.

Life in Harare is still hard.

Some things are starting to get better, but trust seems to be sorely lacking.

Until that teacher can speak his mind without fear, and until people can
laugh anywhere, even outside State House, the change that many Zimbabweans are
seeking is still some way in the future.

Mugabe's
grand plan to jail Bennett indefinitely

President Mugabe's government has secretly orchastrated a grand
plan to lock-up MDC-T treasurer general Roy Bennett for many years to come
in a desperate bid to reduce the MDC majority in Parliament, The Zim
Diaspora can sensationally reveal.

Bennett is the MDC-T's nominee for
the post of Deputy Agriculture Minister.

The planned indefinite detention
of Bennet also stems from President Mugabe's racist attitudes which has
undoubtedly brought Zimbabwe's economy to its knees.

And, today a
Mutare magistrate will rule whether or not Bennett should be indicted for
trial in the High Court on Monday on charges of possessing arms for purposes
of terrorism and banditry and inciting acts of insurgency.

If indicted,
President Mugabe's government has said it will oppose bail and have him
locked up ahead of the trial. Since the signing of the inclusive government
pact ZANU-PF seem to have hatched a plan to go on an arresting spree as a
means of reducing the MDC majority in parliament. Bennet is a cabinet
minister-designate.

Chief law officer Mr Michael Mugabe, with the
assistance of Mr Chris Mutangadura, of the Attorney-General's Office,
yesterday applied for the indictment of the former legislator in the High
Court when it sits on circuit in Mutare next week.

Yesterday, the
State told Mutare magistrate Mrs Lucy Mungwari that investigations were
complete and Bennett should be indicted for trial in the High
Court.

The State has indicated that it will oppose bail once the
indictment is done.

Bennett's defence team, led by Mrs Beatrice
Mtetwa, made a counter application challenging the indictment saying the
State should have given their client notice for indictment as required by
the law.

Mr Mugabe on behalf of the government, in his application argued
magistrate Mrs Mungwari had no jurisdiction to hear the matter and,
therefore, Bennett should be indicted to appear before the High
Court.

The High Court's third and final session will commence in Mutare
next Monday.

Mrs Mtetwa had submitted to the court that it was not
proper for the State to indict Bennett at this stage.

She cited
Section 66 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act, which reads: "Any
summons shall be served, by a person authorised to serve criminal process,
upon the accused person to whom it is directed, either by delivering it to
him personally or, if the accused cannot conveniently be found, by leaving
it for him at his place of business or most usual or last known place of
abode with some inmate thereof."

But Mr Mugabe argued that the mere fact
of the State indicting Bennett to appear before the High Court was a notice
in itself.

"There is no way the trial can commence before the accused
person is indicted.

"The State is more than prepared to proceed with
the trial, but because the accused person needs to be indicted first we are
doing that today (yesterday)," said Mr Mugabe.

Mrs Mtetwa responded:
"The State deliberately presented to the court that today (yesterday) will
be a trial date to avoid the consequences of the court ruling, a practice
which the court always frowns upon.

"If the trial cannot proceed today
(yesterday), the accused person should be removed from remand and the State
is free to follow whatever rights it has in terms of the law to bring the
accused to court," she said.

Mrs Mungwari adjourned the matter to today
when she is expected to make her ruling.

The trumped-up charges
against Bennett arose between 2002 and March 2006 when President Mugabe's
government claim that he provided one Peter Hitschmann with money for the
procurement of 26 grenades, two-schermuly signal smoke hand, 12 rifles and
other weapons.

After that, the State alleges Bennett incited Hitschmann
to use the weapons to knock down a microwave link situated at a kopje along
Melfort-Bromley Loop Road.

It is alleged Hitschmann used cellphone
disabling devices to block cellphone signals and to detonate anti-riot water
cannon trucks used by police.

According to the indictment papers, 12
witnesses are expected to give evidence for the State.

Bennett was
arrested in February this year upon his return from South
Africa.

Police, who had received information that Bennett was
returning home, arrested him at Charles Prince Airport in Mt
Hampden.

He was denied bail by a Mutare court only to be released by the
Supreme Court a month later on US$5 000 bail.

He was also ordered to
surrender his passport and to report to the police twice a week.

Last
month, Bennett lost a bid to have his bail relaxed.

He also wanted his
reporting conditions cancelled to allow him to travel to South Africa on
business and to sort out his citizenship issues in that country.

A new approach to global food security and hunger

For one billion people around the
world, the daily effort to grow, buy, or sell food is the defining struggle of
their lives. This matters to them, and to all of us.

Consider the daily life of the
world’s typical small farmer.

She lives in a rural village in
Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, or Latin America, and farms a piece of land that she
does not own. She rises before dawn and walks miles to collect water. She
works all day in a field, sometimes with a baby strapped on her back.

If she’s lucky, drought, blight,
or pests don’t destroy her crops, and she raises enough to feed her family. She
may even have some left over to sell. But there’s no road to the nearest market
and no one there who can afford to buy from her.

Now let’s consider the life of a
young man in a crowded city 100 miles from that farmer. He has no job—or a job
that pays pennies. He goes to the market—but the food is rotting, or priced
beyond reach. He is hungry, and often angry.

She has extra food to sell, and
he wants to buy it. But that simple transaction can’t take place because of
complex forces beyond their control.

Meeting the challenge of global
hunger is at the heart of what we call “food security”—empowering the world’s
farmers to sow and harvest plentiful crops, effectively care for livestock or
catch fish—and then ensuring that the food they produce reaches people most in
need.

Food security is not only about
food. It represents the convergence of complex issues: droughts and floods
caused by climate change, swings in the global economy that affect food prices
and threaten the fate of vital infrastructure projects, and spikes in the price
of oil that increase transportation costs.

But food security is all about
security. Chronic hunger poses a threat to the stability of governments,
societies, and borders. People who are starving or undernourished, have no
incomes, and can’t care for their families are left with feelings of
hopelessness and despair. That desperation can lead to tension, conflict, and
even violence. Since 2007, there have been riots over food in more than 60
countries.

And the failures of farming in
many parts of the world—the obstacles that separate that small farmer and that
hungry young man—have a powerful impact on the global economy. Farming is the
only or primary source of income for more than three-quarters of the world’s
poor. When so much of humankind works hard every day but still can’t support
their families, the whole world is held back.

The Obama Administration sees
chronic hunger as a key priority of our foreign policy. Other countries are
joining us in this effort. Major industrialized nations have committed more
than $22 billion over three years to spur agriculture-led economic growth. And
on September 26, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and I co-hosted a gathering of
leaders from more than 130 countries to build international
support.

The U.S. approach to food
security will be informed by our experience with development. The truth is, we
have spent too many years and too much money on development projects that have
not yielded lasting results. But we have learned from these efforts. We know
that the most effective strategies emanate from those closest to the problems,
not foreign governments or institutions thousands of miles away. And we know
that development works best when it is seen not as aid but as
investment.

With those lessons in mind, our
food security initiative will be guided by five principles, which will help us
get to the roots of the problem and pursue lasting change.

First, we understand that there
is no one-size-fits-all model for agriculture. So we will work with partner
countries to create and implement their plans.

Second, we will address the
underlying causes of hunger by investing in everything from better seeds to
risk-sharing programs to protect small farmers. And since the majority of the
world’s farmers are women, it’s critical that our investments in agriculture
leverage their ambition and perseverance.

Third, no one entity can
eradicate hunger on its own. But if stakeholders work together—coordinating on
the country, regional, and global levels—our impact can multiply.

Fourth, multilateral institutions
have the reach and resources that extend beyond any one country. By supporting
their efforts, we will benefit from their expertise.

Lastly, we pledge long-term
commitment and accountability. To prove it, we will invest in monitoring and
evaluation tools that will allow the public to see what we have done.

This effort may take years, even
decades, before we reach the finish line. But we pledge our full resources and
energies.

While we pursue this effort, we
will maintain our deep commitment to emergency food assistance, to answer the
urgent cry for help when tragedies and disasters take their toll—as is happening
now in the Horn of Africa, where drought, crop failures, and civil war have
caused the worst humanitarian crisis in 18 years.

Revitalizing global agriculture
will not be easy. In fact, it is one of the most ambitious and comprehensive
diplomacy and development efforts our country has ever undertaken. But it can
be done. It is worth doing. And if we succeed, our future will be more
prosperous and more peaceful than our past.

# # #

Issued by the U.S. Embassy, Public Affairs
Section. Queries and comments should be directed to Acting Public Affairs
Officer,Andrew Posner
onhararepas@state.gov, Tel. +263 4
758800-1, Fax: +263 4 758802. Previous reports and statements from the U.S.
Embassy are available athttp://harare.usembassy.gov

USAID Recognizes Global Handwashing Day in Zimbabwe

Harare,October 15, 2009:On the second annual Global Handwashing Day, the U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID) is highlighting this simple hygiene habit –
washing hands with any soap as a way to reduce disease in Zimbabwe.

During an Oct. 15 program, USAID
partners Population Services International (PSI) and Children First, along with
the Ministry of Health and other stake holders, will be celebrating Global
Handwashing Day at the Mabvuku 1 Primary School in Mabvuku, Harare with hand
washing demonstrations, a hand washing drama, and a donation of buckets and soap
to schools and clinics in Mabvuku Tafara.

“Handwashing really
matters," commentedPatience Ndlovu,Children
First Head of Programs. “Global efforts have helped to reduce annual worldwide
mortality in under-5-year-olds from nearly 13 million in 1990 to 9.2 million in
2008.” She emphasized that “Here in Harare we can decrease the incidence of
serious diseases like cholera, pneumonia, and diarrhea by teaching school
children to use soap and water at critical times such as before eating and after
using the toilet.”

USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA)
collaborates intensively with UNICEF and numerous non-governmental organizations
on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) activities in Zimbabwe. In FY 2009,
USAID/OFDA committed more than $8.6 million for WASH programming throughout
Zimbabwe to improve community resilience to cholera and other waterborne
diseases.

As part of
this effort, USAID/OFDA committed over $360,000 for 400 metric tons of soap for
use in hygiene promotion programs and supported the distribution of 30 million
water purification tablets.

USAID has also developed a “Healthy
Water, Healthy Habits, Healthy People” educators guide on water, health,
sanitation, and disease prevention for nationwide distribution in Zimbabwe. The
guide, prepared by Project Wet, provides teaching materials on water resources
through hands-on, investigative, easy-to-use activities such as songs, role
playing, and group activities.

According
to the World Health Organization, diarrhea kills almost 2 million children
globally each year. Studies have shown that washing one’s hands with soap could
reduce worldwide rates of diarrhea by almost half and save at least one million
lives – saving more lives than any single vaccine or medical intervention.

Proper handwashing and safe waste
disposal are very closely related with increased health and productivity. Lack
of access to sanitation is especially difficult for children who pay the price
in lost lives, missed schooling, disease, and malnutrition. Worldwide,
inadequate sanitation, poor hygiene, and unsafe water claim the lives of an
estimated 1.6 million children under the age of five every year.

The
challenge is to transform handwashing with soap from an abstract idea into an
automatic behavior in homes, schools and communities
worldwide.

The American people, through the U.S. Agency for
International Development, have provided economic and humanitarian assistance
worldwide for nearly 50 years. For more information about USAID's efforts to
fight cholera and waterborne diseases in Zimbabwe, please go
to: www.usaid.gov/our_work/humanitarian_assistance/disaster_assistance.

# # #

The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided economic
and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years. For more
information on USAID programs in Zimbabwe, please visitwww.usaid.gov/zw.

Is Bennett a living martyr for democracy in Zimbabwe?

I was deeply
saddened late yesterday afternoon when I learned that Mugabe's legal gurus
had played their trump card, indicted Bennett on banditry and terrorism
charges and had him returned to custody.

I am sure that there are
Zimbabweans of all colours and creeds throughout the world that feel the
same as I do this morning.

"Pachedu" is suffering on our behalf in Mugabe
disgusting prisons this morning.

Today, I thought it would be
relevant to have a look at the rocky road that Bennett has walked to today,
so that we may appreciate just what it is about him that Mugabe
abhors.

"In 2004 Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa told Bennett in
Parliament that Bennett's Charleswood Estate in Chimanimani would be taken
by the government and resettled. Chinamasa then said: "Mr. Bennett has not
forgiven the government for acquiring his farm, but he forgets that his
forefathers were thieves and murderers."

Bennett stood up and walked
towards Chinamasa, shouting, "Unoda kundijairira iwewe! Unoda kuti ndiite
sei? (Shona: Don't think you can get away with trying to take advantage of
me! What do you want me to do?! (Also translated as: "You are really getting
on my nerves; do you think I will let you get away with that?") Bennett
grabbed the collar of Chinamasa's shirt and wrestled him to the floor. He
then tried unsuccessfully to punch Anti-Corruption Minister Didymus Mutasa
who responded by kicking him. Other MPs then took out guns and threatened to
start shooting if they did not stop fighting. The Sergeant at Arms escorted
Bennett out of the chamber. Deputy Speaker Edna Madzongwe ejected Nelson
Chamisa and Willias Madzimure for their involvement in the fight.

The
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition condemned the actions of Bennett and
Chinamasa

A bill of attainder was then passed with even the MDC being
part of the parliamentary committee to investigate that incident imprisoning
him for 15 months.

On 28 June 2005, Bennett was released from
Chikurubi Prison after spending eight months of his twelve-month sentence in
custody. It is standard prison procedure to commute a third of any sentence
for good behaviour. He told reporters he had been made to stand naked in
front of prison guards and was then given a prison uniform covered with
human excrement when he arrived in jail. He denounced prison conditions
generally in a press conference after his release, saying "The inhumanity
with which the prisoners are treated and their total lack of recourse to any
representation or justice combined with the filth and stench of daily life
is something I will never forget and I will not rest until their conditions
are improved."

Bennett declared his desire to continue in politics,
saying "I am more determined than ever to continue to strive for a better
Zimbabwe for all Zimbabweans, the current oppression cannot continue for
much longer and sooner, rather than later, the people will assert their
rights." He also said that if the opportunity arose and the people for
Chimanimani asked him to, he would stand as their representative
again.

During the MDC split over the proposed boycott of elections to the
Zimbabwe Senate in 2005, Bennett sided with MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai
in support of the boycott.

Roy Bennett previously lived in South
Africa as a refugee. His application for asylum was initially rejected by
the South African Department of Immigration. On 13 May 2007, the South
African government accepted his asylum request.

During his time in
exile, he had an active role in activism for Zimbabwe and particularly the
MDC in South Africa. In 2007 he became the treasurer general for the main
stream faction of the MDC faction lead by Morgan Tsvangirai. He was also a
spokesman in South Africa and made regular interviews on behalf of the
MDC.

During Robert Mugabe's 84th Birthday celebrations at the border area
of Beitbridge before the 2008 election, Roy Bennett led a demonstration on
the South African side of the border against the President. Among his words
were:

"We are gathered here after many years of suffering, while
across the river, after 28 years, a man who is now 84 years old, is having a
birthday party. A birthday party while everybody around him is starving and
dying. There's no electricity, there are no roads, there are no jobs,
there's no education, there's no medical, there's no nothing. He is spending
300,000 US dollars to have a birthday party."

At the end of January
2009, after several years in exile, he returned to Zimbabwe to join a debate
within the MDC to decide whether or not to agree to the power-sharing
government with Mugabe. After the MDC ultimately agreed to share power with
ZANU-PF, Morgan Tsvangirai designated Bennett as Deputy Minister of
Agriculture on 10 February 2009. On 13 February, he was arrested again while
trying to (legally) leave Zimbabwe on a private plane at Charles Prince
Airport. He was brought to police stations in Goromonzi and Mutare on that
day, and is said to have suffered an attempt to drown him on the way there.
He was charged with treason, and the MDC reported that he had been denied
food in jail. Charges were later replaced with 'conspiring to acquire arms
with a view to disrupting essential services'. When a magistrate ordered
Bennett released, the magistrate himself was arrested because "he has passed
a judgment that is not popular with the state." Bennett was released from
remand prison on 12 March 2009, but has been ordered back as of 14 October
2009."

Source: Wikipedia

Today I ask the simple question, is
Bennett a living martyr for democracy in Zimbabwe?

Zimbabwe weekly
update

Week Ending 13th October 2009

Business

South Africa's largest food
retailer, Shoprite, said it is no longer pursuing investment opportunities
in Zimbabwe, citing political and economic "uncertainty." Shoprite/Checkers
planned to buy OK Bazaars, Zimbabwe's second largest supermarket chain,
despite the recent designation of the Meikles/TM supermarkets Group by
Zimbabwe government interests.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe froze
two of Nestlé's bank accounts after the Swiss multinational bowed to global
pressure last week and said it would stop sourcing milk from a farm owned by
Grace Mugabe, President Robert Mugabe's wife. The company's accounts were
later freed, but some see it as a warning shot to the company by Governor of
the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Gideon Gono.

President
Mugabe stated that Government has cherry-picked two investors to take over
the exploitation of the controversial Chiadzwa Diamond Fields in a 'joint
venture' with the Ministry of Mines. Meanwhile Justice Charles Hungwe two
weeks ago delivered a landmark judgement confirming Africa Consolidated
Resources (ACR)'s right to claims in the mining
area.

Zimbabwe is still one of the
worst governed countries in Africa, according to a report by the Mo Ibrahim
Foundation. The 2009 Ibrahim Index of Governance ranked Zimbabwe 51 out of
all the 53 African countries, beating only Chad and Somalia respectively.
The rankings are based on the 2007/2008 period, prior to the formation of
the unity government.

Wildlife conservancies are at risk after
the government adopted a new, controversial, land 'reform' policy aimed at
'resettling' the wildlife sector, as the countrywide rush to grab any
remaining commercially viable land
continues.

Economy

Zimbabwe's finance minister
Tendai Biti said on Monday that he would quit if he were asked to reinstate
the local dollar, which he scuttled in order to halt hyper-inflation. He
said talks on the possible return of the Zimbabwe dollar should only start
at the end of next year.

The finance minister also said that he
will not authorise the use of $500 million in IMF funds until the after the
national budget is finalised, presented and approved in
November.

Sanctions

The US and the UK showed
skepticism last week following Mugabe's overture for better relations,
stating that he first needs to honour the Global Political Agreement (GPA).
Mugabe said at the opening of parliament that he was prepared to re-engage
the West, calling an end to sanctions against
Zimbabwe.

Education

Around 8000
teachers who fled election violence last year and only returned to work in
2009 have gone months without pay as punishment for their alleged support of
the MDC. Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) Secretary General
Raymond Majonwe said in an interview last week that he believed the aim was
to frustrate the teachers and show up the MDC minister of education, sport
and culture David Coltart. "It's political," said Majongwe. "We are
aggrieved because 5 000 of the 8 000 teachers who have not been paid are our
members. This is why they are being victimized."

Zimbabwe
School Examinations Council (Zimsec) workers went on strike last week
demanding that the lowest paid employee's salary be increased from US$115 to
US$400. With the public examinations looming, Zimsec is urging the
government to address the workers' concerns.

A recent survey
by PTUZ revealed that up to 75 percent of the 300,000 children who could sit
their O and A Level examinations in November had failed to register because
of the exam fees. Students learning in rural areas and on farm schools are
the worst affected, with those coming from poor urban areas accounting for a
substantial amount of the victims, The number of students who could not
afford to write their examinations this year was "the highest in the history
of the country" said a PTUZ statement.

Ten Zimbabwean students at
the University of Fort Hare in South Africa have been kicked out of a
(taxpayer-funded) Presidential Scholarship programme, for allegedly
supporting the MDC. Robert Mugabe gained a BA degree, specializing in
education, from Fort Hare in
1951.

Legal

Several top officials and Mugabe
loyalists being sued for torture will not receive legal assistance from the
state. The officials are being sued by seventeen human rights activists,
including Jestina Mukoko. All were acquitted of terrorism charges after
being abducted, tortured and incarcerated for months. The defendants, who
include the police chief and security and defense ministers, will face the
charges (worth $500 million in damages) on their own. It seems even the
party can see their actions are indefensible.

Two important
cases will commence this week in Mutare and Harare. Deputy Agriculture
Minister Designate Roy Bennett, who was arrested in February as he prepared
to leave for a holiday in South Africa, faces trial for allegedly being in
illegal possession of weapons and for allegedly contravening immigration
laws. The state seems to have no evidence but is trying to further delay
proceedings by indicting Bennett for trial in the High Court. Meanwhile in
Harare, leading human rights lawyer Alec Muchadehama is standing trial on
Wednesday for alleged contempt of court.

Cholera
Warning

Health experts and aid agencies have repeated warnings of a
possible cholera resurgence in Zimbabwe, blaming the current water and
sanitation problems in the country. "The circumstances that led to the
cholera outbreak [last year] are still there today," said Farid Abdulkadir,
International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
disaster management coordinator, at a meeting on regional water integration
held in Randburg, South Africa. Nine new confirmed cases of the disease were
reported last week in Musikavanhi district of the Manicaland
province.

Commercial Farming Sector

The
European Union is providing 15.4 million euros to aid small-scale Zimbabwean
farmers. The aid, in the form of seed and fertiliser, aims to boost grain
production and is set to benefit 176,000 households. "This programme is part
of a wider EC policy aiming at moving this country from food aid to food
security," said Xavier Marchal, head of the European Commission in Zimbabwe.
The aid is part of a $74 million fund created by donors, which include the
World Bank and Britain's Department for International Development. The fund
is expected to help produce about 450,000 tons of the staple maize crop and
meet a quarter of Zimbabwe's annual requirements.

The Embassy
of the Federal Republic of Germany has written to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs demanding a halt to the grab of white farmer Charles Lock's farm by
Brigadier Mujaji. The German Embassy warned that the grab of the property,
Karori farm was illegal as the property is protected a German-Zimbabwean
Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement.

Ben Freeth, a white
Zimbabwean whose farm was burnt down in August, traveled to Washington D.C.
last week to urge the Obama administration to put pressure on the Zimbabwe
government to stop the seizure of the last remaining white farms. "The
United States is the biggest bilateral donor to Zimbabwe and it's really
important that they put pressure on the government to ensure the court
judgment is respected," he said. In November last year the Southern African
Development Community (SADC) Tribunal ordered the Government of Zimbabwe to
allow 75 white commercial farmers to stay on their land but the seizure of
protected farms and ongoing harassment has continued.

The
European Union (EU) has offered to fund the proposed Land
Audit.

Media

Mugabe's Information Minister Webster
Shamu appointed eight former senior military officials to six boards of
government-controlled media organizations, a move that the Media Institute
of Southern Africa has condemned as the "militarization of the media." Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said that the new boards would have to be
revised, as he and his deputy, Arthur Mutambara, had not been
consulted.

While it stalls the appointment of the Media
Commission as the new licensing body, government warned Trevor Ncube, owner
of the Mail and Guardian and the Zimbabwe Independent, not to launch his new
Zimbabwean daily newspaper, Newsday, without a licence. The government
recently launched two new publications without
licences.

Robert Mugabe and a large entourage turned up in Geneva
to attend an International Telecommunications Union showcase and mystified
delegates with a speech condemning the use of radio as a channel for
'obnoxious regime change agendas'.

Politics

Party
leader and Prime Minister in the GPA, Morgan Tsvangirai, embarked on a
series of 'public consultations' regarding whether the people wanted the
party to stay in the GPA. No feedback has yet emerged, Tsvangirai instead
telling rallies to expect 'free and fair elections' in two years'
time.

The Vice-Presidential succession is not yet settled but the
Zanu-PF Matabeleland caucus nominated one of their own: Zanu PF party
chairman John Nkomo, to take over the late Joseph Mskika's slot at the top.
Nkomo is a former member of Zapu in Matabeleland, as was Msika. But the
Mashonaland caucus is said to be backing Defence Minister Emerson Mnangagwa
for the job. As the Minister of the Interior in the eighties, Mnangagwa was
the mastermind of the Matabeleland Gukurahundi killings in which over 20 000
people are estimated to have died.

A damning audit of the
country's voter's roll was issued by the Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU).
The report revealed that around 75 000 people over 100 years of age were
still registered, and many duplications existed. Worse, in some
constituencies, the number of votes cast in the 2008 elections were more
than double the number of registered voters. The Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission (ZEC) has refused to release the detailed results of these
polls.

The MDC has dropped from its constitution a clause
limiting the party president's terms in office, thus extending Morgan
Tsvangirai's possible tenure to beyond
2011.